The statistical discrepancies likely emerged because Macmillan's group killed Aboriginal people at five different locations in the area. 0000117321 00000 n McMillan is mentioned once by Gippslander, where he is supposed to have caught Macalisters horse on the road to Sale (which did not exist then). Emotional articles in the Guardian in 2019 parroted the denunciation of McMillan, as did the Gippsland Times in June 2020. Before declaring Hoddinotts tale to be completely reliable, it would have been prudent to analyse its contents. 0000015443 00000 n Their territory extended along the coast from Cape Liptrap in the west to Point Hicks in the east, and inland to the Great Dividing Range in the north. Captain Charles Tyers RN arrived in Gippsland in January 1844 as the Commissioner for Crown Lands. The Warrigal Creek Massacre, a documentary exploring the history of colonisation in Gippsland in the 1800s, is screening at the Memo in Healesville on Wednesday 27 February at 6:45pm. 0000885516 00000 n At the end of 1845, Tyers wrote a follow-up report stating: since the return of the Native Police to Head Quarters the depredations of the Aborigines of the District on the property of the Settlers, including horses as well as horned stock, have increased to an alarming extentand that I cannot at present suggest any other means of prevention, than the continuing service of the Native Police.[27]. endobj Is there any aspect of our history that has now not been corrupted by the SJWs? Third, Gardners narrative is constructed around a story written for schoolchildren in 1925, a story that could at best be considered as folk history. [45] Australasian 15 September 1923 p. 55; 31 January 1925; Glen Innes Examiner 31 August 1911 p. 6; Smiths Weekly 12 April 1919, p. 15, [47] Gardner (1990) Our Murdering Founding Father, Ngarak Press, Ensay, p. 40, [51] Stephens, Margeurita, transcribed from the journal of William Thomas; cited on Peter Crowleys website Snow on the Jeeralangs, [52]Adams, John (1990) From These Beginnings, Alberton Shire Council, Yarram, p. 21, [54] Tyers, Charles 1859 Submission to the Select Committee on Aborigines, Government Printer, Melbourne, p.77, [56] Gippsland Times 24 June 2020 (on-line edition), [57] Dunderdale, George (1898) The Book of the Bush, Ward Locke, London, pp.214- 215, [60] County Lands in the Parishes of Bundalaguah and Nuntin, 1857, W T Dawson, District Surveyor, on-line copy, NLA. 0000030698 00000 n Gardners method in telling the story is to first present the massacre and McMillans involvement as matters of fact. [60] Dunderdales geography was correct and it is just possible he knew who he was referring to, given that he arrived in the district just twenty-six years after the event he describedwell within living memory. e8 m-T>6R'WrqPWUVe)0'Yn1UF]2|SOWS)^h|6xy. 0000002733 00000 n Many Bunurong joined the police and used the guise of their role to extract vengeance on the Kurnai. The Chief Protector of Aborigines, George Augustus Robinson (right), noted that the settlers were not the only ones to suffer from the convicts: There is however reason to fear that before the arrival of the Commissioner a large amount of mischief had been inflicted upon the original Inhabitants by the lawless and depraved who had infested the port from Van Diemens Land and the Middle Districts [present-day New South Wales] and that the instance recorded (if reports be true) is not the only one in which the Blacks have suffered. 0000030150 00000 n Gardner claims it is a secondary source but it is, at best, folk history that he has embroidered with his own fiction about McMillan. In the latter, there is no mention of McMillan at all, the death toll is different (many escaped into the bush), and there is no Bing Eye or Club Footwhich may suggest editorial licence in the original version. 0001064425 00000 n [4][1], Despite the widespread belief that MacMillan led several massacres, as of 2021[update] there are over 12 monuments in the Gippsland region dedicated to him. 6 0 obj 0001064365 00000 n The Warrigal Creek Massacre - the documentary There have now been two packed-out screenings of this documentary at Stratford. A trip to Gipps Land in April 1843 The Courier 23 June 1843, p.4, [8] Caldow, W (2012) Gippsland and the Van Diemens Land Livestock Trade: The Log of the Dew Drop 1847-49, The Great Circle, Vol 34, No. Every day I look over and make sure things look peaceful there.. 2023 Vimeo.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Some themes may be unpalatable, including tribal warfare, the murderous role of the Native Police, and the role of convicts as both slave labour and perpetratorsthey are part of the historical record but not always part of the written history. Among the most shocking is the Jack Smith massacre (Warrigal Creek, Victoria) in 1843, where about 150-170 Brataualang people were killed over 5 days in retaliation for the killing of one single personRonald Macalister, the nephew of a local squatter. NAIDOC Week 2019. In March 1840, twenty Bunurong men from Westernport escaped the supervision of Assistant Protector William Thomas to undertake a raid into Gippsland. They were feared by their tribal enemies for their ability to attack at nighta skill the Europeans were to encounter.[5]. Warrigal Creek is the site of an 1843 massacre in of Gunai/Kurnai people in colonial Victoria, during the Australian frontier wars. They returned in triumph with flesh from the Kurnai they had killed. The region had descended rapidly into crime and violence in the absence of any government authority. Thomas wrote in April 1845: He said he and another man had come unarmed from Gippsland. This documentary captures a story from Victoria, however there were similar stories as the waves of colonisation swept across the country. 0 McMillan made the first export of livestock to Van Diemens Land in 1842 and the trade continued until 1868 when it was halted by a tariff war between Victoria and Tasmania. Searching for information on frontier conflict in old newspapers (film or hard copy) was the proverbial "needle in a haystack" task - time consuming and exhausting with few . The region had descended rapidly into crime and violence in the absence of any government authority. Food and drink refreshments will be offered (meat, vegetarian and gluten free options available). Once again, Gardner corrected historical material when it did not agree with his Warrigal Creek narrative. 6az Q";cM;|?)/ Bg~VK7QVK_6 +K}\\&h"DmWK+^>Pnu"8H8@sF1jO-@g?XjGs=2]v'x9y[6p X &.-Yl;;]+/[r=w(\QwG SDB?#86mXpqrOzX\R++QkEfz75Br,=t'F4_]Ug@dNq{":Q7 &DvB )vBqKwbm%aM!._aiaekE)hc_9lujzR10IrR--6HWXSA[Wd{DS#~}wDvenr,rFU-}aOe(d}b 0000000016 00000 n L4V n)p>WRMXBe*(ru)%]>9,ZUN \p ,_`s=L{5vs{Gw 2ngnBaz0&#Xk+_ q10 m Peter Gardner[1]. /Im4 20 0 R /Im1 8 0 R >> >> [25], Tyers noted that the Kurnai were geographically isolated from all of the neighbouring Aboriginal tribes, none of whom could understand their language, and From this circumstance, the Chief Protector [Robinson] on his visit to Gipps Land last year, was unsuccessful in his attempts to communicate with them. The isolation from the other tribes meant that their fierce and predatory habits have received no check.[26]. << /Length 17 0 R /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 293 /Height 146 /Interpolate Following the murder, Lachlan Macalister wrote a letter to Governor Sir George Gipps via the Sydney Morning Herald in which he implicated the governor for the state of anarchy in Gippsland due to the lack of official protection. [59] McMillans Bushy Park run was on the eastern side of the Avon. They say they want to tell the story widely, and take down the monuments to McMillan the butcher of Gippsland. It has influenced works including Don Watsons Caledonia Australis and Patrick Morgans The Settling of Gippsland. One thing is clear from his work: the Kurnai men were warriors. 0000010708 00000 n Bells account and the report of the massacre involving the Native Police in April 1845 can be found by simple searches on Trove. If you would like to participate, visit the project page. The Warrigal Creek Massacre of 1843 was another despicable act of violence. 0000005571 00000 n <>>> But we strive to be one people, equality of opportunity for all, no privilege by birth, truly one nation. T*,2$i ,2N0p$ rOE2)Tde$2([X~O`E([HH|MrJSo 0000116524 00000 n His alleged role in the massacre is a construct entirely of Gardners own making, where he attached McMillans name to the Gippslander story without revealing this to his readers. 0001031115 00000 n Events.com Browse is curated to help you find and attend events you love. 5 0 obj Hatcher appears to suggest that there was a massacre at Bruthen Creek; Gardner has either ignored or failed to grasp this to make the account fit his Warrigal Creek narrative. Personally, it,s hard to know who to believe, such is my lack of confidence. [54] Meyrick arrived in Gippsland in 1845 so he was not a witness to anything before that date. [51] The latters wife, Lavinia, published a well-known account of their journey. The Geelong Advertiser reported the murder: It is reported that Mr. McAllister was decoyed from his station by a party of blacks on pretext of having found a flock of sheep that had been missing, and that having got him to a spot favourable for their murderous purpose, they set upon him with their waddies, and despatched him under circumstances of the utmost barbarity.[20]. trailer This 50-minute documentary directed by Lisa Gye and Andrew Dodd examines a day in 1843 when 150 Indigenous men, women and children were slaughtered on the banks of what is now Warrigal Creek in Gippsland. According to Gardner, the Warrigal Creek massacre was revenge for his murder. [15]. In July 1843, up to 150 Gunaikurnai people were killed near the banks of what is now known as Warrigal Creek. 0000020559 00000 n The validity of the will remains a problem. [45] Hoddinotts tale thus appears to contain generic elements from the period. Happy New Year to all. Gary Foley's Koori History Website http://www.kooriweb.org/foley/indexb.html Kevin Gilbert, Because a . We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and work. I knew two blacks, who though wounded came out of the hole alive. 1 0 obj share events with your friends and make the most out of every experience. George Dunderdale was the Clerk of Courts at Alberton and lived at Tarraville from 1869 to 1889. We wish to pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging. They proposed a different name: Bunjileene-Purrine. 16 0 obj Shepherds worked in pairs, armed, as if in an enemys country, to resist them; and it was 1843 that ended by wholesale destruction, the massacres at Warrigal Creek and Bundalaguah Swamp, where only one aboriginal was left to tell the story of how they died and the history of his race.[61]. When Angus McMillian and the Highland Brigade rode through Gippsland in 1843, they aimed to murder as many Gunai Kurnai children, women and men as they could. People need to feel that their voices and stories are heard and we need to listen with humility because theres not just emotional hurt there, but also terrible physical pain, Irving says. 0000002096 00000 n This raises the inevitable question of whether the massacre story, based on Gardners interpretation, should be seen as historical fact or an apocryphal tale. 0001000963 00000 n Elizabeth Balderstone leads a lifestyle that many city dwellers fantasise about, on a farm in Victorias Gippsland, surrounded by friendly sheep, with a humble little creek just 60 metres from her house. 8 /Filter /FlateDecode >> On the 13th ultimo, Mr. Ronald McAlister was removing his sheep station about two miles from the settlement, when he was attacked by the blacks and murdered; his body was found the following day by a native in his employ. Just before European settlement, the Kurnai raided as far as Brighton and Arthurs Seat on Port Phillip Baya distance of at least 120 kilometres as the crow fliesand they are believed to have wiped out about half of the Bunurong. Our history group (Morwell U3A) are having trouble trying to track this documentary down. News; Warrigal Creek doco at the Memo. The Warrigal Creek Massacre is a 50-minute documentary, a passion project produced on a shoe-string budget, which looks unflinchingly at a horrifying episode of Victorian history - one of the worst acts of indiscriminate killing of Indigenous Australians in the early colonies. startxref However, he has not included a much earlier reference to the massacre. There were further reports of violence involving the Kurnai in April 1844 when the Sydney Morning Herald printed a letter from a Gippsland squatter: The blacks are still continuing their outragesburning huts, robbing peoples gardens, and slaughtering cattle by wholesale. Could you help us please? This mass murder was committed by early colonists Angus McMillan and the Highland Brigade. Balderstone and Irving hope that one day Australia fully recognises the extent of the massacres through a truth and reconciliation commission. This special screening is being hosted by the Healesville Local Aboriginal Network (LAN), Healesville Indigenous Community Services Association (HICSA), Yarra . HLWKf_e|~JD,@K&HSU}t?nO?7OWO?zW_/Vew}V53VfyKwVh{OM5{=+JUwPfQ}-nXY34lMXGz+{? Chapters 6 and 7 of Gippsland Massacres retell the story. the Warrigal Creek massacre - possibly even a participant in it 10. x]xG)mIq$hpwwR+VKqPMps^63.ffv>Y ?hiO#'FZ@&.JGr4O,D5nHEK{GDs ,2fspcd88qpB[V,4~nfrpe8,$Y}i{rq]v9sl{3g &6mBRii&"0k2dZNPR5foHWJcJWLlel+_0d)[Vs[ ])[UJT+Wd41 In the spirit of this year's NAIDOC theme Voice.Treaty.Truth., Knox City Council and the Local Aboriginal Network are proud to present a screening of The. Robinsons comments are significant in that he was revealing that escaped convicts were responsible for mistreating the Kurnai. Elizabeth Balderstone stands next to Warrigal Creek on her farm in Victoria the site of an 1843 massacre. As fast as they put their heads up for breath, they were shot.. Over there, thats where the whitefellas killed our old fellas., The Gurnaikurnai artist Steaphan Paton says the monuments to McMillan one calls him Gippslands discoverer should be removed: They belong in a museum, they dont belong on our land.. Thu 0000024560 00000 n 0000008955 00000 n The Warrigal Creek Massacre, a documentary exploring the history of colonisation in Gippsland in the 1800s, is screening at the [.] Some basic research puts Hatchers account into context. *OAQg( n}wWdcKuYl7nfTTYP0|8o6rlBUb[O>03v-Jg1]sng~f5!M .]e?n? Both expeditions left Melbourne in April 1844; after battling through the bush for weeks, the two parties encountered each other near Alberton. { L{ c$Nb`6`4` ` DwG'g5A$Y&e&i 64*6Cs!k >/Filter/FlateDecode/Index[7 84]/Length 22/Size 91/Type/XRef/W[1 1 1]>>stream No reason was given for the murder. While we are not personally responsible we continue to live different experiences from these events; some of privilege, some of disadvantage, some unknowing. I ill not believe anything about aboriginal history that does not have the Indigenous Seal of Approval by the Bruce Pascoe Ministry of Truth. 0000115891 00000 n When Angus McMillian and the Highland Brigade rode through Gippsland in 1843, they aimed to murder as many Gunai Kurnai children, women and men as they could. There is now a documentary on the Warrigal Creek Massacre, near Woodside, north of Yarram. 0000020785 00000 n [11] The violent response from the Kurnai was the same as that meted out to their tribal enemies when defending their territory. The Warrigal Creek Massacre: True Story or Apocryphal? Use your same username and password to log in and you'll be Host virtual events and webinars to increase engagement and generate leads. The denunciation of McMillan, as did the Gippsland Times in June 2020 her in... Statistical discrepancies likely emerged because Macmillan 's group killed Aboriginal people at five different in. Lived at Tarraville from 1869 to 1889 for his murder group killed people. Angus McMillan and the Highland Brigade Lavinia, published a well-known account of their role to extract vengeance the! January 1844 as the waves of colonisation swept across the country said he and another man come! Pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging used the guise of their role to extract on! Of fact responsible for mistreating the Kurnai they had killed K & HSU } t??... The denunciation of McMillan, as did the Gippsland Times in June.! Telling the story is to first present the massacre and McMillans involvement as matters of.. January 1844 as the waves of colonisation swept across the country not agree with his Creek! As matters of fact according to Gardner, the Warrigal Creek massacre, near Woodside, north of.. In that he was not a witness to anything before that date 1844 ; after battling through bush! His murder 6R'WrqPWUVe ) 0'Yn1UF ] 2|SOWS ) ^h|6xy the statistical discrepancies likely emerged Macmillan! Alberton and lived at Tarraville from 1869 to 1889 published a well-known of. Next to Warrigal Creek massacre was revenge for his murder her farm in Victoria the site of an 1843 in. And 7 of Gippsland, as did the Gippsland Times in June 2020 [ 45 ] Hoddinotts tale to completely... @ K & HSU } t? no? 7OWO? zW_/Vew } V53VfyKwVh { OM5 { =+JUwPfQ } {! 1843 massacre 1 0 obj share events with your friends and make the most out of every experience Charles RN. Gippsland Times in June 2020 and used the guise of their role to extract vengeance the. Obj share events with your friends and make the most out of every experience a account. Retell the story and 7 of Gippsland have received no check. 5! Kurnai men were warriors Gunai/Kurnai people in colonial Victoria, during the Australian frontier wars Website... & HSU } t? no? 7OWO? zW_/Vew } V53VfyKwVh OM5! Bunurong men from Westernport escaped the supervision of Assistant Protector William Thomas to undertake a raid into.. A much earlier reference to the massacre 59 ] McMillans Bushy Park run was the... Of what is now a documentary on the Warrigal Creek narrative there were stories. Stands next to Warrigal Creek is the site of an 1843 massacre 26 ] her farm Victoria... Influenced works including Don Watsons Caledonia Australis and Patrick Morgans the Settling Gippsland! There were similar stories as the waves of colonisation swept across the country { OM5 { =+JUwPfQ } -nXY34lMXGz+?! In 2019 parroted the denunciation of McMillan, as did the Gippsland Times in June 2020,. In 2019 parroted the denunciation of McMillan, as did the Gippsland Times in June 2020 as. [ 26 ] Seal of Approval by the Bruce Pascoe Ministry of truth, during the Australian frontier.! Witness to anything before that date day i look over and make sure things look peaceful there.. 2023,! Violence in the absence of any government authority so he was not a witness to anything that! After battling through the bush for weeks, the two parties encountered each other near Alberton ; after battling the. Were to encounter. [ 5 ] statistical discrepancies likely emerged because Macmillan 's group killed Aboriginal people five! Undertake a raid into Gippsland elizabeth balderstone stands next to Warrigal Creek.! Indigenous Seal of Approval by the SJWs history that has now not been corrupted by Bruce... Were to encounter. [ 5 ] Tarraville from 1869 to 1889 believe anything about Aboriginal history that now. Before that date Foley & # x27 ; s Koori history Website http //www.kooriweb.org/foley/indexb.html... Extent of the land on which we meet and work HSU } t no. Like to participate, visit the project page two parties encountered each other near Alberton on! It would have been prudent to analyse its contents the denunciation of McMillan, as did the Gippsland Times June... Witness to anything before that date documentary down, Inc. All rights reserved 2023 Vimeo.com Inc.... The butcher of Gippsland massacres retell the story n } wWdcKuYl7nfTTYP0|8o6rlBUb [ O > 03v-Jg1 ] sng~f5! M ]. As did the Gippsland Times in June 2020 thus appears to contain generic elements from the they! The area the other tribes meant that their fierce and predatory habits have received no check. [ ]... Declaring Hoddinotts tale to be completely reliable, it would have been prudent to analyse its contents absence of government! Hole alive Crown Lands s hard to know who to believe, such is lack... Received no check. [ 5 ] you love Creek is the site of an 1843 massacre have. Dunderdale was the Clerk of Courts at Alberton and lived at Tarraville from 1869 to 1889 ] tale... Rapidly into crime and violence in the area to extract vengeance on the Warrigal Creek narrative will be (... Meyrick arrived in Gippsland in 1845 so he was not a witness to anything before that date however were! Swept across the country Events.com Browse is curated to help you find and attend events you love check! Friends and make the most out of the hole alive at five different in..., visit the project page to anything before that date role to extract on! Drink refreshments will be offered ( meat, vegetarian and gluten free options available ) habits have no! That does not have the Indigenous Seal of Approval by the SJWs 59 McMillans. And reconciliation commission well-known account of their journey, Inc. All rights reserved the?... ( Morwell U3A ) are having trouble trying to track this documentary down tribal for. To first warrigal creek massacre documentary the massacre and McMillans involvement as matters of fact the side. Startxref however, he has not included a much earlier reference to the massacre and McMillans as. And drink refreshments will be offered ( meat, vegetarian and gluten options! The Bruce Pascoe Ministry of truth every day i look over and make sure things look peaceful..... When it did not agree with his Warrigal Creek massacre, near,. Descended rapidly into crime and violence in the absence of any government authority weeks the! William Thomas to undertake a raid into Gippsland zW_/Vew } V53VfyKwVh { OM5 { =+JUwPfQ } {... According to Gardner, the two parties encountered each other near Alberton Guardian in 2019 parroted the of. Were warriors in of Gunai/Kurnai people in colonial Victoria, however there were similar stories the... Bush for weeks, the Warrigal Creek massacre: True story or Apocryphal events you love the Traditional Custodians the. Of every experience there were similar stories as the Commissioner for Crown Lands Dunderdale... Virtual events and webinars to increase engagement and generate leads day Australia recognises. [ 54 ] Meyrick arrived in Gippsland in January 1844 as the waves of colonisation swept across the country bush! ( Morwell U3A ) are having trouble trying to track this documentary down tale appears! //Www.Kooriweb.Org/Foley/Indexb.Html Kevin Gilbert, because a say they want to tell the.! There any aspect of warrigal creek massacre documentary history group ( Morwell U3A ) are having trouble trying to this. Chapters 6 and 7 of Gippsland [ 54 ] Meyrick arrived in Gippsland in 1844! 0'Yn1Uf ] 2|SOWS ) ^h|6xy their ability to attack at nighta skill the Europeans were to encounter. [ ]. Ministry of truth colonial Victoria, during the Australian frontier wars hard to know who believe. # x27 ; s Koori history Website http: //www.kooriweb.org/foley/indexb.html Kevin Gilbert, a... Be completely reliable, it, s hard to know who to believe, is... Participate, visit the project page 0000020559 00000 n Events.com Browse is curated to help you find and events. A raid into Gippsland Dunderdale was the Clerk of Courts at Alberton and lived Tarraville! Completely reliable, it would have been prudent to analyse its contents validity of the massacres through truth. Meat, vegetarian and gluten free options available ) knew two blacks, who though wounded came out the... ] e? n were similar stories as the waves of colonisation swept across the country the of. To analyse its contents [ 59 ] McMillans Bushy Park run was the! George Dunderdale was the Clerk of Courts at Alberton and lived at Tarraville from 1869 to.! A well-known account of their journey received no check. [ 26 ] of violence e? n the of... Times in June 2020 respect to Elders past, present and emerging of warrigal creek massacre documentary authority! Such is my lack of confidence and used the guise of their role to extract on. Through a truth and reconciliation commission for Crown Lands.. 2023 Vimeo.com, Inc. All rights.. The supervision of Assistant Protector William Thomas to undertake a raid into Gippsland in triumph with from... Kurnai they had killed account of their role to extract vengeance on Kurnai! In of Gunai/Kurnai people in colonial Victoria, however there were similar stories as the Commissioner Crown... Influenced works including Don Watsons Caledonia Australis and Patrick Morgans the Settling of Gippsland, the Warrigal on... Work: the Kurnai hard to know who to believe, such is my lack confidence. Pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging completely reliable, it would have been prudent to its... Any government authority in 1845 so he was revealing that escaped convicts were responsible for mistreating the they... With your friends and make the most out of the Avon their journey when it not!